The Wings Over New Zealand Show Episode 125 is now online. It is “Wings Over Australia – The Historical Aircraft Restoration Society”.
James Kightly and I visit the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society, or HARS, at Albion Park in Illawarra, New South Wales. We talk first with Jim Thurstan, who is one of the volunteer engineers restoring the Fokker F-VII Trimotor “Southern Cross” replica VH-USU.
And then we joined HARS chairman Bob Delahunty in the cockpit of the collection’s flagship, the Lockheed Super Constellation, to talk about the history of HARS. Bob tells how it all started with an ex-RNZAF Harvard, and the rescue of the Lockheed Neptunes, which led on then to the recovery and restoration of the Super Constellation, and more.
Click below for the episode and loads of photos:
http://www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/WONZShow/2016/11/hars/
By: Dave Homewood - 29th November 2016 at 11:34
From the HARS website
“History of HARS Aircraft
The HARS aircraft is a French-built NORD and was used by the French Navy until 1960, when it was sold to a Belgian owner.
She was later bought and freighted to Canada by WW11 Luftwaffe Fighter Ace Franz Stigler (28 Victories). Stigler lived in Vancouver Canada after the War and owned the 108 for 16 years. He had her painted up the same as his own personal aircraft in Luftwaffe JG27, a Messerschmitt 109 fighter.
Stigler was the German pilot who during WW11 chivalrously refused to shoot down a badly damaged and crippled US Air Force B17 Bomber over Germany. Rather he guided it and escorted it back to the North Sea towards England. The B17 pilot Charlie Brown safely landed the plane in England and in 1990 both pilots met for the first time and became friends. Both died within a few months of each other in 2008.
Our 108 is close to being airworthy and the only one in Australia.”
http://hars.org.au/messerschmitt-108-nord-1002/
And
“Aircraft: Nord 1002 Pingouin II
Airline: Private
Serial #: 285
This 1951 Pingouin (essentially a Nord-built Messerschmitt Bf 108) appears to have been directly civil registered as F-BGVD(2). In 1965 it was re-registered in Belgium as OO-GVD. In 1973 it was exported to the USA as N108R but immediately re-exported to Canada as C-GRIT. Painted in the WWII colours of Franz Stigler and named ‘Grit’ after the owner’s wife. Sold to Australia and registered VH-HUN on 16 November 1999, re-registered VH-OFS in 2006.”
By: AEROFOIL - 29th November 2016 at 11:18
A brilliant Museum, full of interest. Would be interesting to know something of the Nord1002/Bf.108’s history-i.e. constructor’s number etc…..
By: JDK - 29th November 2016 at 11:14
Just re-listened to the recording, and very much enjoyed Jim’s account of the Fokker’s work, as well as Bob’s Connie saga, given in the cockpit of the very aircraft. A rather special opportunity to share.
oz rb fan: The bureaucrat’s trough that was NASMA (the proposed, but never really started ‘National Air And Space Museum of Australia’) is something a lot of people would understandably rather forget. As mentioned in the interview by Bob De La Hunty, his account was a jog trot through the story, rather than a spotters notepad. HARS did the heavy lifting on the Connie project, and deserve the credit – in my opinion. A detailed history of the Connie is on Ron Cuskelly’s excellent website, and the only related note is the Museum Victoria mention – the real museum acting for the putative, never extant NASMA. Hope that’s clear enough.
By: oz rb fan - 27th November 2016 at 00:05
no mention of the defunct NASMA project that was the original owner of the Connie..the restoration was done by HARS on a 10 year lease,and when the project was wound up the aircraft was donated to HARS.
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November 24, 2016 at 10:40 pm